Chelsea will reportedly unveil a new signing on 1st July. Could that person be Sevilla goalkeeper, Sergio Rico? He is slated to replace Asmir Begovic.
Chelsea are due to unveil a new player at the beginning of next month. The club are being coy about it, withholding any semblance of clues. However, the latest reports indicate that Sergio Rico could be the (underwhelming) solution to the mystery.
The Metro cites sources in Spain which suggest that the Blues have lined up a move for the Sevilla goalkeeper.
"Chelsea have approached Sevilla over a move for Sergio Rico in the summer transfer window, according to reports in Spain.Marca suggest the Blues have asked about the availability of the young shot-stopper, with Antonio Conte on the hunt for a new ‘keeper in the coming months."
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Asmir Begovic left Stamford Bridge this summer, with Bournemouth securing the Bosnian for an undisclosed fee. That leaves the Blues in need of a second-choice goalkeeper. Rico has turned out over 100 times for Sevilla and could be an ideal candidate to sit behind Thibaut Courtois.
However, whether the player is keen on the role is another issue. The 23-year-old has been starting for a team that finished fourth in La Liga and has Champions League football. He may not be willing to give that up to warm the Stamford Bridge bench. And rightly so.
Having said that, Courtois may still be on his way out. He has currently reached a contract impasse with Chelsea management, with high wage demands proving to be a stumbling block.
Real Madrid are circling the Belgian and the Blues may just move him on should a tempting offer come in. If that were to be the case, Rico could turn out to be the club’s number one by August.
That is wishful thinking, though. Much will have to happen for Rico to first come to Stamford Bridge, then take over from Courtois. Moreover, Antonio Conte would probably want a higher profile and more proven replacement.
What do you think of this? Is Rico a good signing? Or is this the sort of speculation that fuels rumours of a Conte exit? Sound off below!